Craig Schoettler Lands at Drumbar; Benjamin Newby Out

Craig Schoettler, the former executive chef of Aviary, who was let go in June, is now working at white hot rooftop bar Drumbar, according to 312 Dining Diva. The former barman in charge, Benjamin Newby, has left the establishment to "pursue other opportunities."

Though the report is that Schoettler is just bartending at Drumbar, tipsters report that the role is more serious and that he is now in charge of the entire beverage program there. The major players have not confirmed yet, but Drumbar did just post a photo of a high tech new service piece, which may be a hint that he's doing more than just picking up the occasional shift. Stay tuned for more details.

Update: Daniel Gerzina at the Chicago Trib confirms that Schoettler is taking over the bar program and plans to introduce a new menu of fall and winter cocktails in two weeks. He is also working on a snack menu to pair with the cocktails.
· The Year 2012 Was An Incredibly Outrageous Time For Chicago's Restaurants & Bars [312 Dining Diva]
· @Drumbarchi [Twitter]
· All Coverage of Craig Schoettler [~ECHI~]

Craig Schoettler [Photo: Christian Seel]